Le Méridien tops Expedia list
For the second consecutive year, Le Méridien St Julians has topped the list in the number of room nights sold and gross bookings made through Expedia for the Maltese islands.
Expedia is a comparison shopping online search engine, which gives the best packages available to consumers once they have submitted information about where they would like to go and what they would like to do. Its portfolio of brands include expedia.com; hotels.com; Hotwire, Expedia Corporate Travel, Tripadvisor and Classic Vacations.
Around 75 million people visit Expedia Group sites every month, with 14 million hotel searches made daily. 1.6 rooms are sold every second with an average of 140,000 rooms sold daily. In 2007, Malta was one of Expedia's top growing destinations, with an increase in gross bookings and also room nights sold over all months, with the booking window always getting smaller - most people book their hotel between zero and six days prior to leaving for their destination.
Expedia represents the biggest growing third party partner for at Le Méridien St Julians, having the largest visibility and exposure generating a huge traffic with a global distribution, Charmaine Refalo, hotel revenue manager, said.
"Flexibility with rates and room allotment helps in achieving higher results maximising revenues and occupancies," she said.
Apex Group sets up operation in Malta
Apex Fund Services Ltd, parent company of the Apex Group, has set up a fund administration subsidiary in Malta. The new subsidiary, Apex Fund Services (Malta) Ltd, is regulated as a recognised fund administrator by the Malta Financial Services Authority.
The Apex Group established its first independent fund administration operation in Bermuda in 2003 and has now grown into a network spanning three continents and eight jurisdictions. With over $5 billion under administration, Apex is the second fastest growing administrator according to a recent global survey of fund administrators. Apex Malta will provide a platform for developing the group's business in the EU and surrounding markets.
Group managing director Peter Hughes said: "Malta is the perfect fit for independent fund administrators. It has good quality people, embraces technology and as a jurisdiction has proved to be quick to respond to the challenges and opportunities in the market. Like Apex, which remains focused on being a niche administrator, Malta is also very focused in its growth strategies for financial services.
Apex Malta aims to start servicing a number of funds shortly and intends building up its portfolio as it develops the necessary infrastructure.
The recruitment of high quality staff will be a priority, the company said.
Apex Fund Services (Malta) Ltd will provide the whole range of fund administration services complete with online web reporting access for investors and fund managers through its ApexFundsNet platform (the first of its kind in Malta), and independently checked daily, weekly or monthly fund valuations.
Apex Malta will be able to provide a high level of service to traditional funds, fund of funds, hedge funds and private equity funds. Apex Malta will also be utilising the PFS-PAXUS accounting and shareholder services software, used by some of the world's leading investment managers and fund administrators for their hedge fund accounting needs.
http://www.apex.bm
Training on EU funding
Forum Malta fl-Ewropa is organising an intensive and interactive one-day training session on the practicalities of EU funding. The training session, entitled Making Your Way Through the EU Funding Maze: Proposals, Evaluation and Project Management will be held on January 16 and is being organised in collaboration with the Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and the Self-Employed.
The EU has more than 300 different funds and funding programmes. In 2007, the EU also launched a range of multibillion funding programmes on areas including research, business support, adult education, information technology, combating poverty, as well as the new generation of Structural Funds. Through its funds and funding programmes, the EU contributes to training, work placements and studies abroad, environmental projects, arts and culture, the creation of conservation areas, foreign aid, environmental action and many other types of project.
"Most of these funds are available for projects everywhere - not just regional development areas. Some are, however, only available for not-for-profit organisations or entities. Although information on various EU funds and funding programmes is available, the practical dimension is often unclear to many," Forum explained.
Topics to be covered during the training include how to build a strong project proposal, insight into the evaluation of EU-funded projects, a guide to project management of EU-funded projects (management of financial resources, management of information, the management of performance etc) as well as public procurement and project closure issues. There will also be a presentation on case studies from Malta.
The training session will not cover the contents of different funds and funding programmes. These will be dealt with in separate information days to be held during this year.
The full-day training session will be delivered by Maria Rauch, an independent international consultant who has delivered training on EU funding in several countries.
Further details about the venue and programme will be available shortly.
Participation is free of charge but prior registration is required in view of seating restrictions. Registrations should reach Brian Pace at Forum Malta fl-Ewropa by not later than Monday January 14 on fax 2122 7580 or e-mail forumfunding@gov.mt.
New Microsoft partner
Alert Communications, a web design and web development agency, recently qualified as a Microsoft Certified Partner.
Since starting out in web design and development nine years ago, Alert Communications has grown steadily and now services both local and international organisations of various sizes.
In 2007, the 24-member team at Alert Communications launched two major portals for Malta - www.visitmalta.com and www.airmalta.com which were undertaken using Microsoft technology.
For the second consecutive year, Le Méridien St Julians has topped the list in the number of room nights sold and gross bookings made through Expedia for the Maltese islands.
Expedia is a comparison shopping online search engine, which gives the best packages available to consumers once they have submitted information about where they would like to go and what they would like to do. Its portfolio of brands include expedia.com; hotels.com; Hotwire, Expedia Corporate Travel, Tripadvisor and Classic Vacations.
Around 75 million people visit Expedia Group sites every month, with 14 million hotel searches made daily. 1.6 rooms are sold every second with an average of 140,000 rooms sold daily. In 2007, Malta was one of Expedia's top growing destinations, with an increase in gross bookings and also room nights sold over all months, with the booking window always getting smaller - most people book their hotel between zero and six days prior to leaving for their destination.
Expedia represents the biggest growing third party partner for at Le Méridien St Julians, having the largest visibility and exposure generating a huge traffic with a global distribution, Charmaine Refalo, hotel revenue manager, said.
"Flexibility with rates and room allotment helps in achieving higher results maximising revenues and occupancies," she said.
Apex Group sets up operation in Malta
Apex Fund Services Ltd, parent company of the Apex Group, has set up a fund administration subsidiary in Malta. The new subsidiary, Apex Fund Services (Malta) Ltd, is regulated as a recognised fund administrator by the Malta Financial Services Authority.
The Apex Group established its first independent fund administration operation in Bermuda in 2003 and has now grown into a network spanning three continents and eight jurisdictions. With over $5 billion under administration, Apex is the second fastest growing administrator according to a recent global survey of fund administrators. Apex Malta will provide a platform for developing the group's business in the EU and surrounding markets.
Group managing director Peter Hughes said: "Malta is the perfect fit for independent fund administrators. It has good quality people, embraces technology and as a jurisdiction has proved to be quick to respond to the challenges and opportunities in the market. Like Apex, which remains focused on being a niche administrator, Malta is also very focused in its growth strategies for financial services.
Apex Malta aims to start servicing a number of funds shortly and intends building up its portfolio as it develops the necessary infrastructure.
The recruitment of high quality staff will be a priority, the company said.
Apex Fund Services (Malta) Ltd will provide the whole range of fund administration services complete with online web reporting access for investors and fund managers through its ApexFundsNet platform (the first of its kind in Malta), and independently checked daily, weekly or monthly fund valuations.
Apex Malta will be able to provide a high level of service to traditional funds, fund of funds, hedge funds and private equity funds. Apex Malta will also be utilising the PFS-PAXUS accounting and shareholder services software, used by some of the world's leading investment managers and fund administrators for their hedge fund accounting needs.
http://www.apex.bm
Training on EU funding
Forum Malta fl-Ewropa is organising an intensive and interactive one-day training session on the practicalities of EU funding. The training session, entitled Making Your Way Through the EU Funding Maze: Proposals, Evaluation and Project Management will be held on January 16 and is being organised in collaboration with the Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and the Self-Employed.
The EU has more than 300 different funds and funding programmes. In 2007, the EU also launched a range of multibillion funding programmes on areas including research, business support, adult education, information technology, combating poverty, as well as the new generation of Structural Funds. Through its funds and funding programmes, the EU contributes to training, work placements and studies abroad, environmental projects, arts and culture, the creation of conservation areas, foreign aid, environmental action and many other types of project.
"Most of these funds are available for projects everywhere - not just regional development areas. Some are, however, only available for not-for-profit organisations or entities. Although information on various EU funds and funding programmes is available, the practical dimension is often unclear to many," Forum explained.
Topics to be covered during the training include how to build a strong project proposal, insight into the evaluation of EU-funded projects, a guide to project management of EU-funded projects (management of financial resources, management of information, the management of performance etc) as well as public procurement and project closure issues. There will also be a presentation on case studies from Malta.
The training session will not cover the contents of different funds and funding programmes. These will be dealt with in separate information days to be held during this year.
The full-day training session will be delivered by Maria Rauch, an independent international consultant who has delivered training on EU funding in several countries.
Further details about the venue and programme will be available shortly.
Participation is free of charge but prior registration is required in view of seating restrictions. Registrations should reach Brian Pace at Forum Malta fl-Ewropa by not later than Monday January 14 on fax 2122 7580 or e-mail forumfunding@gov.mt.
New Microsoft partner
Alert Communications, a web design and web development agency, recently qualified as a Microsoft Certified Partner.
Since starting out in web design and development nine years ago, Alert Communications has grown steadily and now services both local and international organisations of various sizes.
In 2007, the 24-member team at Alert Communications launched two major portals for Malta - www.visitmalta.com and www.airmalta.com which were undertaken using Microsoft technology.